Brotherly Love
by satomobile
Summary: Katara peeks in on six year old Bumi having a heart-to-heart with baby Tenzin


Warm, comforting, calming herbal tea wafted from the cup in her hands to her grateful nose. Katara sighed contentedly as she lifted the rim of the teacup to her lips just as the baby's scream tore through the house. Her body slackened, moment of peace ruined.

The only amusement offered was across the table from her, looking terrified. She sized up Toph's discomfort with a laugh, "motherhood."

"Gee, I can't wait," Toph grumbled, resting one hand on her swollen stomach.

"Relaxation will be a thing of the past," Katara continued, "so drink up."

Toph sipped her tea with a nod and then, "Didn't you just put them down for a nap?"

"Yep," Katara quipped as Tenzin's cries grew in volume. She sighed again, pushing away from the table to stand. "I'll be right back. I don't want him to wake Bumi and Kya."

Quietly, Katara moved down the hallway to the nursery. She slinked past the door to her older children's rooms careful not to disturb or alert them to her presence. As slowly as she could, she began sliding Tenzin's door open.

That is when she heard a sweet little voice, "shhh. Don't cry, Tenzin."

Katara pressed her face to crack in the door and looked in on her oldest son, Bumi, just six years old gently reaching through the bars of Tenzin's crib to brush his fingers across Tenzin's fine, dark hair.

Tenzin continued to wail regardless and so Bumi tried another tactic, pulling a chair away from the window and dragging it over the side of his brother's crib, "Tenzin, Mom is trying to relax! Hush!" he warned as he climbed onto the chair so that he could crane his neck over the bars.

This distracted the baby, who looked up at his older brother and puttered out a few more cries before going silent. Bumi reached down and pet his hair again, "that's better."

From the doorway, Katara smiled. Bumi was a particularly rambunctious child, but seemed to be hypnotized by his younger siblings. There was something in him that wanted to care for them and he felt a sense of pride in showing them off. She recalled shortly after Kya's birth the way he grabbed Sokka's hand and pulled him to the nursery declaring, "Uncle Sokka! Come and see_ my_ baby!"

In the present, Tenzin had begun to fuss again and Bumi let out a frustrated sigh- reminiscent of his mother's- and she had to suppress a giggle as she continued to watch this little boy pretending to be so grown up.

Tenzin sat up and rubbed his eyes, his whining gaining momentum as he did. With one last sigh Bumi threw his leg over the side of the crib and climbed in beside his baby brother. Tenzin's cries ceased as he watched Bumi curiously.

"There," Bumi exhaled, "I'll stay with you if you just stop crying."

He put one arm around Tenzin's shoulders and looked up at the mobile, which dangled fuzzy sky bison figures just above their heads. Bumi tapped one of the bison with a finger and the mobile spun, "these are sky bison, Tenzin."

"You might get one someday," he explained, "Dad has one named Appa. Can you say 'Appa."

A gurgle, decidedly un-Appa sounding escaped Tenzin's chubby face and Bumi laughed, "Guess not."

"They are just for Airbenders, though," Bumi continued, "I hope you are an Airbender. Me and Kya didn't come out right."

And suddenly, in the doorway, Katara could feel her heart breaking. She wondered where on earth he would have gotten that impression. Certainly, it was a private concern for his parents, but not something they ever dared burden their children with.

"Let's try something," Bumi decided as he pulled Tenzin's stocky little body into his lap. Bumi pointed up at the mobile which had stopped spinning and grabbed one of Tenzin's stubby little hands, "Dad used to try this with me all the time," he reported happily. Bumi shot his hand forward shaking Tenzin's fist at it while very hopefully and very quietly commanding him to, "Airbend!"

The mobile remained still. He tried again.

Nothing.

He tried again. Tenzin's fist opened and closed before he pulled it away from Bumi and inserted it directly into his mouth.

Discouraged, Bumi shrugged, "Looks like you're broken too."

It was then that Katara realized she was crying. Though nobody had ever said it, Bumi had gotten the impression that he was somehow less. She reached up and wiped away the tears from her face before pushing the door all the way open.

Bumi's head shot up and he stood inside the crib, caught in the act, "Mommy! I was- Tenzin was- he pulled me in here! I was just checking on him and he pulled me in!"

Under normal circumstances, she might have laughed at his improbable lie, but right now all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around her baby and let him know that he was loved.

Without a word she came to the side of the crib and lowered the railing, reaching in to grip Bumi's waist and lift him out.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he pled, "I didn't mean to be in there! It was an accident!"

"Shhh," she soothed, pulling him close, "you aren't in trouble."

Unconvinced, Bumi continued to whine, "He pulled me in!"

Katara hugged him tighter, "It's okay, sweetheart."

In the crib, Tenzin grabbed the rail and lifted himself to watch them, babbling all the while.

"What were you talking to Tenzin about?" she asked, moving out of their embrace to catch her son's eye. Bumi chewed his lip and watched the floor.

"Nothing."

"Bumi, it's okay if none of you kids turn out to be Airbenders. You understand me?"

Bumi shrugged.

"Look at me," she insisted. His sad eyes met hers and he tried to look away again, but she gripped his chin so that he could see how serious she was when she said, "You are special no matter what. Dad and I love you no matter what. You understand me?"

Bumi nodded solemnly.

"You are special in so many important ways. Who helps me put on Kya's shoes every morning?"

The corner of Bumi's mouth twitched, "me."

"And who helps Dad carry all that heavy food down to the bison caves?"

"Me."

"And who makes the funniest jokes in this family?"

"Me," Bumi agreed, smile fully returning.

"See? Without you, Kya would get her feet scraped up, the bison would starve, and Dad and I would never laugh! You are a very important part of this family, honey."

"And who would do this," he shouted triumphantly as he let go of an exceptionally loud belch.

Katara laughed dryly, "Yes, where would we be without that?"

She stood finally, taking his hand, "Come on."

"Aww," he whined, "do I have to go back to naptime? I'm not even tired!"

"No," she agreed, "why don't you go out into the kitchen tell Toph about all your special gifts."

"Really?" he burst, eyes shining, "I can stay up with you guys?"

"Yes, only because you are so special."

Bumi's fist punched the air excitedly and he turned back to the crib, hoisting the side up so that it locked in place, "Too bad, so sad, sucker," he taunted.

Jarred by the sudden movement, Tenzin cried out again in full force.

Katara took a breath just as Bumi ran from the room and down the hall shouting, "Toph! Toph! Guess what!"

She looked back at her youngest son and pulled him from the crib, "So much for peace and quiet."


End file.
